cover image Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox (The Finniverse Series #1)

Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox (The Finniverse Series #1)

Michael Buckley. Delacorte, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-525-64687-7

In this middle grade adventure, several children form an unlikely alliance to help save the world after one bonds to an alien weapon that opens interstellar wormholes. After part of the weapon fuses to his chest, and the other half melds with his little sister’s unicorn-themed lunch box, 11-year-old Finn Foley becomes capable of teleporting, albeit somewhat randomly. To keep this technology out of the hands of the Plague, a race of murderous bugs, Finn must work with classmate Lincoln Sidana, a bully; conspiracy-interested Julep Li, his crush; and a malfunctioning extraterrestrial robot, part of the resistance. But with the relentless Maj. Sin Kraven of the Plague High Guard stalking them through the small town of Cold Spring, N.Y., it’ll take persistence, ingenuity, and some unexpected backup from outer space for the new band of friends to repel an army capable of destroying Earth. Buckley (the Sisters Grimm series) spans the galaxy with this humorous story, grounding the action with a focus on Finn and Lincoln’s familial and school situations that gives the characters depth. Finn’s unicorn-obsessed sister adds another layer of entertainment to an action-packed romp. Ages 10–up. [em]Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong. (Apr.) [/em]